The eye is a trusted reflection of the soul (paraphrased fromJane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte).
In 1972 as many of you already know, my self–fundedapprentice piece was seen by over 400,000,000 people(BBC figs). https://lnkd.in/eGqv2rwE
If your formal education has failed, then you must develop the stamina and determination to learn something else – well. The above sequence is part of my apprentice piece from ‘Beneath the Skyline: Edinburgh to Music’ made in 1966 when I was 20. There’s no commentary in the original, so this was an early test of my visual literacy and aesthetic values.
Insecurity always scared me. But I read somewhere that –insecurity is the greatest form of motivation. That worked for me and I gradually learnt how to be scared, without being frightened.
I thought an apprenticeship was just a different way of learning, but after another 42 years of further developmentand the ‘B.A.F.T.A’ award for ‘Outstanding Contribution to Scottish Film’ I realised it was for a lifetime.
When I retired, I was encouraged to write an autobiography. This would include a unique personal account of my life in film(1964 – 2010) and could inform future generations ofmedia students.
Ai wrote:
Mark Littlewoods’s memoir ‘Shaping the Shadows: A Picture Maker’s Story’ refers to using darkness and light creatively in film and storytelling. It’s the art or technique of manipulatingthese two elements to create focus, contrast and mood thereby influencing perception, exploring personal growth, where the shadows represent formative challengers (bullying andinsecurity) and other parts of us that, when understood,become sources of strength and creativity.
AI, when used responsibly, can benefit non-academics like me, who communicate better with images than words (A pictures worth a thousand …)
But, instead of relying on this type of Ai description, I wouldrecommend looking first at paragraphs two and three above,where my own visual literacy and aesthetic values are the only source of inspiration and there were no drones or AI.
‘Remember, the Shadows are just as important as the Light’
(Paraphrased from Franco Zeffirelli’s 1996 film adaptation ofJane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte)
‘Shaping the Shadows: A Picture Maker’s Story’ is on salefrom:
The National Library of Scotland(£10)
Marklittlewood.org.uk
Amazon. #janeeyre #bafta #eurovisionsongcontest #shapingtheshadows
